New Klok 2.0 Beta update may require uninstall of earlier beta

These instructions still apply if you are trying to upgrade any version of the Beta to the current release version.

UPDATE: This issue has be fixed in Klok 2.0 Beta 1.11. If you followed the instructions below to install 1.10, you will need to follow them again to install 1.11

Sorry folks. But if you are running the Klok 2.0 beta version, then you may need to uninstall the current version of the beta before installing Klok 2.0 Beta 1.10. I haven't quite pinpointed the cause yet. You will know whether you need to uninstall if you see the following message when installing the latest update.

• If you get this message, uninstall Klok2 from the Programs control panel and try installing again.
• If you get the message again, you will need to delete the Klok2 folder (which should be empty) from your Program Files (Program Files(x86) on 64 bit Windows)

On a positive note, this update fixes the freezing problem when opening the Klok connector configuration panel when no connector is installed (KLOK-577, KLOK-573) and adds the ability to restore a maximized application (KLOK-575, KLOK-578).

If you have any problems, comment here, email me or file a bug at http://bugs.mcgraphix.com

Download Klok 2.0 Beta and help those in need (part 2)

Thanks to everyone who responding to my initial post. The response has been great so far. One thing that people have pointed out so far is that after donating you are not taken directly to the download page as expected. Don't worry, when I receive the notification email, I will send you the link directly. Please be patient as it may take me a few minutes to be notified.

As an added bonus for making a donation, you will automatically be given access to the Klok 2 beta. Since more of you have asked to be included in the beta program than I had spots available, I was not able to include everyone initially. While I had intended to keep the beta population small for my own convenience I feel that this is a great way to help.

For anyone who doesn't know, Klok is an Timetracking application built with Adobe Flex and deployed as an Adobe AIR application. More information can be found at the official Klok website at http://klok.mcgraphix.com

Download Klok 2.0 Beta and help those in need

While sitting around the table at Thanksgiving a couple weeks ago, it was inevitable that you hear people say things like “I can’t eat another bite”. It was at that moment this year where I thought to myself how crazy it is that while we sit around with more food that we can eat there are others that don’t have food (not to mention clothing and shelter)… not just on Thanksgiving, but every day.

So, with Thanksgiving a distant memory and Christmas and Chanukah right around the corner, I had a thought about how we can help make a difference for those struggling this year. So for now until the end of the year half of every donation made to support Klok, will be donated to various local charities and food pantries.

As an added bonus for making a donation, you will automatically be given access to the Klok 2 beta. Since more of you have asked to be included in the beta program than I had spots available, I was not able to include everyone initially. While I had intended to keep the beta population small for my own convenience I feel that this is a great way to help.

For anyone who doesn't know, Klok is an Timetracking application built with Adobe Flex and deployed as an Adobe AIR application. More information can be found at the official Klok website at http://klok.mcgraphix.com

Klok + Klokwork + iPhone = :-)

I lost count of the number of people who emailed me telling me how great it would be if there was some way to track time in Klok from their iPhone. Well we are getting ready to kick off the private beta of Klokwork, a hosted service for tracking time with Klok, which has the capability of syncing up time tracked from an iPhone (or any smartphone with a web browser) with time tracked from the Klok 2 desktop application.

Before the rumor mills start churning out false information, let me clarify what this is and isn't.

This is not:

• an AIR application running on an iPhone
• a Flex/Flash application running in mobile Safari
• connecting the iPhone directly to the local SQLite databased used by Klok
• going to be sold through the App store

This is:

• a JQuery + JQTouch based AJAX application running in mobile Safari
• able to be added to the home screen and accessed like any other application
• connected to a hosted Java-based web application called Klokwork
• synchronized with the Klok desktop application using Klok's new pluggable connector architecture

Agile and UX - I couldn't have said this better myself

Although... I think I have said almost exactly this a number of times.

If you know me, you know that I usually don't completely agree with Jakob Nielsen. However, in this post about Agile and UX, I really can't disagree with anything he says in the post. I haven't read the entire report (I don't have an extra $148 at the moment) so it is possible that I will eventually find something that I can disagree with.

One of the things that really stands out for me is this quote:

You can't just design individual features; they have to fit together into a coherent whole — a whole that must be designed as well. Bottom-up user interface design equals a confused total user experience (the Linux syndrome)

I am not really a Linux user so I can't speak to the User Experience of Linux in general, but the idea that "Bottom-up" design leads to poor results is just plain obvious. Not to mention in my experience I have seen it happen numerous times. In contrast I have see first hand how a small investment "up front" in design proves to really pay off.

More Klok 2 screenshots

Bear with me everyone. Trying to coordinate a beta program takes a bit more time than I imagined. Combine that with trying to wrap up the beta itself, and I am going slightly slower than expected.

Here are some screenshots of Klok 2 with some of the new features shown.

The main Klok 2 interface.

The Klok 2 Synchronization panel (With Klokwork connector installed)

The new Week picker

The new Time Picker

The Project view (with new Add Sub Project button) and Description tab visible

Sneak Peek at Klok 2.0

More information is coming soon. There has been an amazing response to my request for beta testers. I haven't had a chance to contact everyone yet. So if you haven't heard from me, please be patient. In the meantime, here is a screenshot.